Scheduled Meetings
Planning
Design
Construction
Construction
Construction
Testing
Delivery
Details
Activity:
- Recap of the FIRST kick-off meeting.
- Held joint meeting with South Lakes, discussed the contents of the
robot kit.
Assignments:
- Everyone download the project documentation (in PDF form)
from http://www.usfirst.org
- Read the documentation.
Problems:
Activity:
- Sign attendance sheet each night, starting tonight (34 people were present).
Dave reminded us that people missing more than 10% of the meetings will
be dropped from the team.
- We discussed the impact of snow days; even on
days when the school is closed we can still do work (after all, the students
will have the time).
- Played "Stu-Bots", to illustrate the game strategy. Each
person took turns being a robot or a human player.
- Brainstormed on how to exploit what we learned about
strategy (brute force versus agility, etc).
Assignments:
Problems:
- Missed deadline for submitting artwork for team logo to FIRST.
Activity:
- Form strategy.
Well, that was the tentative schedule. Instead, we did two brainstorming
sessions toward this goal. In the first, we split into four groups to
enumerate and rank the strategy and design features that are the most
important for the robot, based on our experience with the "Stu-Bot" games.
A large number of features were proposed; a few stand out (ability to
acquire point multipliers, durability of the robot).
- The second session provides a different aspect into the design.
Dave Lavery had us split into different groups, and pick from a random
selection of odd parts to incorporate into a robot.
For example: a trout and a chicken coop.
Another example: fork and spoon, and a bookcase.
- Steve Brown and 3-4 others are constructing a practice
puck.
Assignments:
- All people to continue thinking about the last brainstorming session,
to continue on Thursday.
Problems:
- Some people were dropped from the project, having accumulated 3 absences.
About 30 people attended tonight.
- It was rather noisy in the drama room, so we met in the trailer. Perhaps
we need additional meeting space for people not involved in construction.
- In the initial brainstorming session, half of the groups did not
rank
the various features, instead listed a number of features which had equal
weight.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Concept downselect
Assignments:
- Scheduled: Expect practice puck.
Problems:
- Cancelled meeting due to ice storm.
Extend meeting on 16 January to compensate.
Activity:
Assignments:
- Alisha Wallenstein
to organize phone tree
to notify people when meetings are cancelled due to weather.
(We should consider sending email as well, since it requires less time).
Problems:
- Did not begin concept downselect.
We have lots of good ideas, but too many ideas and not enough time to do all
of them.
- Likewise, evaluation criteria are too lengthy.
- Attendance seems to have leveled off, with 28 people on time
and four stragglers who came in halfway through the meeting.
- Practice puck is not complete
(remaining work seems to be a matter
of attaching two subassemblies to form the platform,
adding wheels, carpet and pipes).
Activity:
- Arrive early (8am) for training on lathe and milling machines.
- Meet in morning rather than evening due to holiday.
Meeting runs from 10am to 2pm.
- Scheduled: Preliminary design review
- Scheduled: Downselect design
- Scheduled: Organize groups
- Actual: Dave Lavery demonstrated how to set up and operate the lathe and milling machines.
- Actual: We completed preliminary designs for the conceptual prototypes.
Based on our evaluation criteria, the "Big Belt" has the features which
we will implement:
- tank treads with four wheels per side (two on the floor, the other two
to implement ramps at each end of the robot).
- Use a deployable ram/stability piece.
- Collect floppies with a conveyor belt, which empties into a basket.
- Raise the basket to intermediate height while collecting, and to the final
height with elastic tubing.
- An alternative idea (rather than a basket)
was a velcro umbrella to hold lots of floppies.
Assignments:
- Everyone to be ready to form groups for design/construction at the
next meeting (19 January).
Problems:
- Practice puck
not complete. To do: add carpet and pipes.
- Attendance a little light (26 people were on time, a couple of people
came in late).
Activity:
- Scheduled: Detailed design
- Scheduled: Interface specification
- Actual: We split into small groups to begin designing subsystems.
At the end of the meeting, we presented brief status:
- Control system - probably will use a single joystick for controlling
the drive wheels.
Took inventory, set aside controls and electronics parts.
- Mobility base - some discussion of the drive wheels. Not clear.
- Conveyor - will design to initial 11.8" depth, 40" height.
That is 75 degrees, which is steep.
Use springs to extend the base of the conveyor to a shallower slope.
- Elevator/basket - make basket of transparent plastic.
Raise it to collect floppies with pulleys, using 3-piece U-channel for the telescoping structure.
Final deployment to use elastic raise to 8' height.
- Umbrella - some concern about how to make this without it being too complex.
Design to 4' to 5' diameter when deployed.
Will probably spring-load the structure.
- Arm and bulldozer -
Make the grasper like a mousetrap.
Use seat motors and a window motor.
Since arm will be mounted in the center of the base, will need to coordinate
with umbrella designers.
- Integration - visited the other groups to find out what parts (especially
motors) they will use.
Assignments:
Problems:
- No progress on practice puck.
- Attendance picked up, with 35 people on time and 1-2 stragglers.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Detailed design
- Scheduled: Interface specification
- Actual: groups continued working on detailed designs. We did not
present details of our designs yet.
Assignments:
- Alisha Wallenstein
to have phone tree list at next meeting.
- We will meet on 23 January from 10am to 2pm, until detailed
designs are complete.
A few people have SAT's in the morning; otherwise everyone is expected
to show up and work.
Problems:
- No progress on practice puck.
- Attendance was slack, with 26 people on time and 1 straggler.
- Marc Goldschmitt
brought in a PC to use for developing the Basic Stamp control program,
but the PC did not work.
We will need one in the lab.
It has to run MS-DOS programs.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Complete detailed design
- Scheduled: Complete interface specification
- Scheduled: Build subsystems (must have parts to start).
- Actual: Dave Lavery trained more people in the early morning before the meeting on the milling machine and lathe.
- Actual: We did not meet as a single group, but continued working in subsystem groups on our detailed designs.
About 25 people were present.
We met in the lab and
Mrs Gazda's
classroom because the drama people were doing construction, making it too noisy.
Assignments:
- Dave Lavery sent email, advising us that:
At the team meeting on Monday evening (7-9:30)
we will conduct a Critical Design Review (CDR) for the robot.
This will be your opportunity to present the detailed designs
you have been developing for the last week to the entire team.
The purpose of the CDR is to allow the rest of the group
to understand your design, see how you will interface with the other
subsystems, evaluate your utilization of resources (physical space, weight,
etc., in addition to the kit parts you want to use), offer CONSTRUCTIVE
criticism on the design approach, and offer help on any areas that you have
not fully developed.
To make the review easier, it would be very helpful to have hand-out copies
and/or viewgraphs copies of any drawings you have made of your subsystems so far.
Please get them to
Mrs Gazda
during the school day on Monday -
she has volunteered to have copies made up before the meeting.
Problems:
- Some progress on practice puck.
One problem was that the frame was not measured correctly; we removed a half-inch from the bottom so that the puck will roll freely.
We still have not attached pipes and carpet to the puck.
- We do not have a phone tree set up yet.
- A few people (perhaps one quarter) are doing most of the work.
It would help if they would talk more about what they are doing; it would increase involvement by others.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Critical Design Review.
- Scheduled: Build subsystems.
- Scheduled: Expect practice floppies.
- Actual: We did no subsystem construction.
- Actual: We were told that rather than manufacture floppies, it was
decided (in the past week) to purchase 9 floppies.
- Actual: Alisha Wallenstein
handed out two copies of the phone tree to each student.
Alisha emphasized that when we make calls, we must go down the list
until we contact a person, not an answering machine.
Answering machines do not make followup calls.
- About 36 people attended.
- Actual: We spent the entire session on the Critical Design Review.
Peter Jaffe
pointed out a fundamental problem with the 4-wheel tank design.
Unless its center of gravity is very low, it is in danger of tipping when
climbing onto the puck.
This is partly due to the limit on base length by the 12-foot tread size.
He demonstrated this with a foam board mockup.
He proposed abandoning the design requirement that the robot be able to
climb from either end (symmetric) in favor of an asymmetric design using
3 wheels (two on the floor, two to make a ramp).
This would have the advantage of also allowing the base to be lengthened a little.
In this approach the weight distribution would also be biased toward the front.
A show of hands found no one wanting the original design, though some
people were still undecided.
Assignments:
- David Tripp
stated that the table saw would be available tomorrow (27 January).
He needs 4 students to assist in moving it from Herndon Middle School.
- Integration group must have a single person to do ordering;
though other people may help gather information.
Otherwise we will miss orders or duplicate ordering of parts.
- Mobility and other groups to evaluate and
redesign by beginning
of meeting tomorrow the 3-wheel design.
- We are behind schedule.
We should make up time, must be ready to schedule
1-2 days extra meeting in this week and the next.
Problems:
- No delivery date is known for practice floppies.
- No parts have been ordered for the mobility base.
Other groups range from "some" parts ordered to "almost all".
- We must confirm that orders have been placed.
Integration group has slow to respond, which delays ordering as well.
- There appears to be a resource conflict between the basket and
mobility groups over allocation of aluminum sheet and polycarbonate.
They cannot both have 60% of the total material.
- There are a large number of parts to construct in each group other
than controls (e.g., about 10 manufactured parts).
Estimate one part per session -- we are already behind schedule -- this
will extend construction past the scheduled beginning of testing.
- Some of the manufactured parts will take a long time to complete:
- the basket, to be made of string
- the elevator, whose mechanism does not appear completely thought out
(no prototype is shown).
- the bulldozer blade, which will be about 10 pieces.
- No groups are ready to begin construction.
- Controls (which has most parts in hand) can do mock layout, but cannot
go further because designs for conveyor, basket and arm groups are not complete.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Present redesign of mobility base.
- Scheduled: Build subsystems.
- Scheduled: Move/install table saw.
- About 25 people attended (a couple of people are sick).
- Actual: We met briefly as a whole project to get consensus on the
revised design for the mobility base, at the beginning and end.
- Actual: The remainder of the session was spent working on subsystems.
- Actual: table saw has been moved.
Assignments:
- Plan to meet Saturday longer,
to make up for lost time in schedule.
- Peter Jaffe
appears to have moved from the controls group to the mobility group.
- Mobility group must provide detailed (side and top-view) drawings
for integration with other subsystems
(Thursday 28 January).
Problems:
- Mobility base has not ordered any parts.
- Mobility base designers misread Berg catalog entry for 3/4" track as 2".
They should consider designing against parts available rather than assuming
they'll find parts to match their design.
- Mobility base has not presented a design for mounting the motors.
- Elevator design needs review (there was some concern expressed whether
it would indeed raise the floppies to 8', and how the elevator would be
powered).
- We are running low on money for parts, should consider raising funds
(or looking for handouts).
- Table saw has been moved, but it is not connected to a power source.
- Seeing that integration with the mobility base is a problem,
controls group will "own" the bottom panel of the base, which
will be bolted on from below.
This frees up one of the deadlocks which prevents controls from proceeding.
- The arm/bulldozer group expresses concern that they will not have
proper clearance from the mobility base's tracks.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Mobility group to provide detailed (side and top-view) drawings
for integration with other subsystems.
- Scheduled: Build subsystems.
- Actual: mobility and conveyor groups have more detailed designs (and
corresponding diagrams) but they are not complete.
- Actual: the table saw is powered, ready for use.
- Actual: conveyor group is constructing a mockup of their subsystem.
- Actual: controls group has cut out their panel (16.5" by 23"), and
laid out the major components.
- About 27 people attended.
The weather has been very mild; we have not
lost time due to weather recently.
- Dave Lavery told us that his boss is pleased with NASA's involvement
with FIRST. NASA is sponsoring 32 teams nationwide, funding $550k.
They would like to double that next year.
Assignments:
Problems:
- Mobility base design iteration/redesign is going very slowly
since it interfaces with all of the other subsystems.
- Elevator/basket group seems bogged down.
Making a net from 100' of cord does not look as simple as expected.
Also (more important) there is no detailed design for the elevator mechanism.
- The arm/bulldozer group determined that their initial design would not
work, since the robot would rotate (down) through the pantograph linkage
connecting the bulldozer to the mobility base.
They proposed a modification which uses the mobility base's wheels as the
pivot point.
The robot must climb partly onto the puck before grabbing the pipe.
This reduces the distance that the arm must reach,
moving the arm back relative
to the front wheels of the mobility base.
- Controls group attempted to use the table saw
and were not satisfied with the results (difficult to guide, burned the wood),
used the hand rotary saw instead.
- Mobility base has changed the control's mounting panel size more than once.
We can make it smaller, but after it is cut, making it large takes more effort.
- Controls group is not ready to fasten their components (need some small
screws, etc.).
- We have most of the materials for construction in hand, but some critical
pieces must still be ordered (i.e., the mobility base's track).
Activity:
- Scheduled: meet extra hours (8am to 4pm) to make up schedule time.
- Scheduled: Build subsystems.
- Actual: Conveyor and arm/bulldozer groups worked on fullscale mockups.
We have bought some acrylic sheet plastic which we will use in the mockups where
the final robot will use Polycarbonate. Dave Lavery says the two types
of plastic will work similarly; the Polycarbonate is more expensive.
- Actual: Controls group continued developing their panel attaching the larger
components.
- We did not close out the session with a status meeting.
Assignments:
Problems:
- Several people showed up at 8am,
but the majority arrived shortly before 8:30am.
About 25 people attended.
More than a quarter left before 4pm.
An 8-hour session is probably not as effective as two 3-hour sessions.
- Controls group found that crimping ring connectors to
6 AWG wire does not work well, even using a vise.
We had two connections fail while handling the wires during layout.
We are now using a combination crimp and solder, which appears to work.
- Also, we are having problems connecting the 10 AWG wires to the screws
on the speed controllers (the wires are too thick to wrap around the
screws, and the spade connectors we have are too large for the screws).
- Mobility base group does not have a completed design.
We were told that they want to change the geometry of the control group's
panel to solve an unspecified problem with the elevator/basket group.
- Computer animation has 3-4 people but only one appears to be doing
the work (the others are either not participating or not learning the tool).
Activity:
- Scheduled: Build subsystems.
- Actual: continue prototyping and construction.
- About 31 people attended (4-5 stragglers).
- Dave Lavery was out of town, so
Marc Goldschmitt
held a followup status meeting
- Arm/bulldozer has done some testing of their mockup.
They spent much of Saturday computing angles.
Now they are starting to use a motor in the mockup
to get experience with the dynamics of their design.
- Controls group has tested a joystick controlling two outputs of the
microcomputer to drill motors.
They will next try to set up the PC for downloading customized control programs,
and develop joystick control code for the drive motors.
- Conveyor group has been working on a mockup, which is complete.
It was not clear when they will be starting construction.
- Elevator/basket has constructed a mockup of the elevator.
Since blue conduit is no longer allowed, they have an alternate
design for the basket, using spring-loaded arms.
100 feet of cord is not enough for making a basket; they have ordered more from SPI.
- Mobility base reports that they have ordered parts.
They are not ready to start construction.
No one mentioned a mockup.
- Alisha Wallenstein
reported on progress with getting T-shirts made.
We will need about 150 T-shirts.
We had budgeted $8 for each, but Alisha says it will cost $9.50 to $10.
Assignments:
- Someone (presumably Alisha) must do paperwork to get the county schools
to request 3 bids for T-shirts.
Problems:
- There seems to be a lack of communication; integration group conveyed
some design information from the elevator/basket group to controls, but
it did not reach its destination.
- Shop safety is not being observed.
Several people have had to be reminded to wear their glasses.
Clearance around people working with hazardous tools
(e.g., propane torch) is not always treated with caution.
Some people start power tools without ensuring
that the area around them is clear.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Build subsystems.
- Actual: continue prototyping and construction.
- About 31 people attended (5-6 stragglers).
- Dave Lavery was out of town, so
Joe Parrish
held beginning and followup status meetings
- Arm/bulldozer has done more testing of their mockup.
They report that the seat motor can transmit enough force; however they
are now proposing design changes,
that the arm be mounted in an elevated, central position rather than at a slant.
This will make more effective use of the mobility base as a moment arm.
- Controls group spent the evening working to configure a computer
system to develop the Stamp program.
- Conveyor group had little to say.
- Elevator/basket showed a sample of the basket which they are proposing
to construct.
Nothing was brought out about the elevator design.
- Mobility base reports more design changes (reduce the overall length by
2 inches);
it is not clear which group is driving these changes
since they will be an impact on the conveyor design.
Assignments:
- Alisha Wallenstein
to pick up Polycarbonate sheet.
- Students should plan to meet on Friday, 5 February.
Meeting time has not been determined, since there are several conflicts,
and most engineers will not be able to come.
Details will be resolved at Thursday's meeting.
Problems:
- There appear to be two groups designing the T-shirts (the
people, e.g.,
Ian McCracken,
assigned to the task a few months ago, and a dissenting group who are
in the process of bypassing the official group).
- The computer which the controls group is configuring for development
has only one serial port. We should either get an adapter (to allow
switching the mouse off versus the download connection) or install
a system more suitable to development than Windows 98.
- The elevator/basket people need some help learning to tie knots.
Their prototype basket will not work, since the knots slip.
- The elevator/basket and arm/bulldozer groups are not communicating
as effectively as they should be.
Both plan to install their supports in the middle of the mobility base.
This appears to be contributing to the continual redesign of the mobility base.
- Ordering material from suppliers requires working with their schedules;
construction suppliers typically close early in the day.
We have lost a day or so on getting the Polycarbonate because we contact
them after business hours.
- No one expects to complete construction this week. It is possible that
we will have something built at the end of next week, but only if the
mobility base people are able to begin construction this week.
That will leave at most a week for testing (and redesign).
Activity:
- Originally scheduled: Complete subsystems.
- Originally scheduled: Integrate subsystems.
- Revised schedule: Resolve time of Friday's makeup meeting.
- Actual: continue prototyping and construction.
We received some of the parts which we have ordered (aluminum angle iron).
- Arm/bulldozer: moving from prototyping to construction
- Controls: verified that we can download and run simple programs to the
Basic Stamp.
We must get design information from the other groups;
it has not been forthcoming.
- Conveyor: moving from prototyping to construction
- Elevator/basket: progress unclear
- Mobility base: moving from prototyping to construction (not clear)
- We brought up the issue of the T-shirt logo, and agreed to stick with
our original design.
We will put together our T-shirt order on 24 February.
An offer was made by one of the dissenting group to work on the T-shirts
in his "own time", but we decided to move on.
Assignments:
- Dave reminded us that there is a shopping list for Hechinger's from
the past week which includes easy things such as a sheet of 1/4" plywood.
- He assigned the integration group the task of making a list of jobs
that need to be done (including building the crate).
- Everyone: Go look for things that must be done.
Don't stand around and socialize.
Problems:
- We are seriously behind schedule.
Any further redesign will probably cause us to miss the deadline.
Additionally, not all people are coming to our meetings prepared to work.
- We are no longer allowed to use the computer lab.
Some of our group abused the permission which had been granted,
downloading, copying programs and otherwise modifying files.
- More than 35 people attended, but about a quarter were more than a half
hour late.
- A half-dozen people were loitering in the hall, disturbing the controls
group who were working there.
Activity:
- Revised schedule: Extra meeting to make up schedule.
Students to meet from noon to 5pm.
Assignments:
Problems:
Activity:
- Scheduled: Integrate subsystems.
- Revised schedule: Construct subsystems.
We will meet from 9am to 5pm.
- Actual: continue prototyping and construction.
- Arm/bulldozer: constructing the hook for the arm.
- Controls: installed MS-DOS to solve problems bypassing Windows 98.
Running in MS-DOS, we do not need a mouse.
We have some design information (arm/bulldozer, conveyor and mobility base).
Elevator/basket group have been vague.
- Conveyor: moving from prototyping to construction.
They have the rubber backing for the conveyor, were measuring against
their mockup. We can use as much Velcro as we want, but it must be mounted
on the rubber backing to be considered "fastening" as opposed to structural.
- Elevator/basket: progress unclear
- Mobility base: moving from prototyping to construction (not clear)
A few people were working to put carpet on the practice puck.
Assignments:
- We did not meet as a group to report status; expect to do this first
thing on Monday.
Problems:
- About 25 people attended. Again, some were late and some left early.
However, those present did work harder, with less horsing around.
- We broke our bandsaw blade.
Someone was attempting to use it with improperly secured material.
(No injury).
We do not yet have a replacement.
- Controls group was told informally that elevator/basket group will
mount their base on the center of the controls board.
This will use at least 15% of the board and require
rewiring and remounting the larger components.
Doing this will allow the elevator to be 5 inches higher; elevator/basket
group is not certain how high they will reach and wants as much as they
can get. This will cost controls group a few days of work, since mounting
the Stamp computer securely on edge will not be simple.
- Elevator/basket group
has not made it clear how the elevator will be
reinforced to avoid falling over.
They are constructing a 4-stage set of slides, for which they have made a
mockup and manually demonstrated to a few people.
Motor details are unclear.
The mockup does not have a hole at the point where it must cross the
arm/bulldozer (that will make the real elevator lighter, but it is a problem
area).
They have ordered 300' of string for the actual basket, but will
need assistance setting up a form to shape it during construction.
It is not clear how the basket's rim will be supported.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Integrate subsystems.
- Revised schedule: continue construction of subsystems.
We held a group meeting to get our status, discuss problems.
- Arm/bulldozer: estimate completion
on Thursday, 11 February.
- Controls: negotiated details of layout with elevator group.
They have tentatively agreed to make a hole at the bottom of the elevator
(between supports) for the cables to the receiver.
This will allow controls to mount the receiver flat (securely) on the board.
Controls started laying out a new board for this design, and
began design of the transmitter station.
- Conveyor: constructing framework. They promised to have the frame
constructed on the next day, 9 February.
This is needed for integration with elevator and mobility base.
- Elevator/basket: constructing elevator, Polycarbonate pieces are cut
and are being fitted together.
Reportedly the problem with knots for the basket is resolved, citing
"constrictive" knots which can be used in the same arrangement as the mockup.
- Mobility base: estimate completion of framework
on Thursday, 11 February.
- Computer animation reported that they (two people) have gotten as far
as setting up the backgrounds and framework.
Assignments:
- We are starting to get a list of people going to Philadelphia for the
March 11-13 regional competition.
Aside from team members (operators, player and coaches) we plan to carpool
for a one day trip on the 13th.
- Integration group is losing track of parts ordered from SPI.
They need input from others to find what we are actually putting into
the robot versus what we have ordered.
They have been advised to collect unused parts and put them in a box
for reuse.
Problems:
- About 38 people attended; fewer were stragglers.
- Controls group is delayed due to re-layout of board.
Also, 2/5 group members will not be available on Thursday and Saturday.
(Other groups have members who will not be present).
- Basket supports are a problem; group members said they planned to
use 1/16" strips of Polycarbonate. However, other people have concerns that
these would be brittle, snap with impact.
- Mobility base announced that they have changed the design for the tread.
They will use the tread which they have purchased as an interim measure,
but have ordered (on this date) a new tread which is expected to arrive
in two weeks.
They will substitute the tread at Philadelphia.
This will not leave any leeway if the new tread requires additional work
to maintain tension.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Complete subsystem integration.
- Scheduled: Test and debug
- Scheduled: Train operators, practice game
- Revised schedule: Conveyor group was to have a framework completed.
This is still under construction.
Other groups are proceeding, with no new problems.
- Arm/bulldozer, elevator, controls and mobility base groups negotiated
the placement of elevator on the controls board.
- It became apparent that arm/bulldozer's structure will block us from
replacing the battery.
We think that removing the top front brace from mobility base will solve the
problem.
- Controls group is laying out a new board to accommodate the elevator
placement, and constructing a transmitter station.
These should be complete on Saturday.
Assignments:
- All: plan to work all weekend (Saturday, Sunday 1pm-8pm and Monday).
Problems:
- About 25 people attended.
- Some people will be participating in the Model United Nations this
week and will not be available for work on Thursday and Saturday.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Test and debug
- Scheduled: Train operators, practice game
- Revised schedule: Mobility base group to have a framework completed.
- Revised schedule: Arm/bulldozer group to complete.
- Dave Lavery was out of town, so
Bill Brooks
held a followup status meeting
- Arm/bulldozer: shows a substantial portion of the arm.
However, bulldozer will take more than a day to complete.
- Controls: spent the time on re-layout of the board to accommodate elevator.
Have some parts constructed for transmitter station; need small screws to finish.
- Conveyor: still constructing framework (not done).
- Elevator/basket: still constructing elevator (must attach cut-out some
parts to reduce weight, attach motors and finalize attachment to conveyor).
- Mobility base: has much of framework complete, starting to attach parts.
Assignments:
- Meet on Friday to make up schedule time.
We plan to meet all day on Saturday (8am-6pm) and Sunday (1pm-8pm),
but probably will have the room only on Monday evening.
Problems:
- No new problems. About 28 people attended.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Test and debug
- Scheduled: Train operators, practice game
- Revised schedule: Continue construction, make up time.
- A few students came early, some to work on the Chairman's Award submission.
About 25 people attended, mostly from 7pm to 9pm.
Assignments:
Problems:
- We have not yet chosen operators, have not started training.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Test and debug
- Scheduled: Train operators, practice game
- Revised schedule: meet 8am-6pm for construction and integration
- The subassemblies are in varying degrees of completion at the
end of the day:
- Arm/bulldozer - the arm is workable. The bulldozer's frameworks are
incomplete (more brazing is needed), and the motors have not been attached.
- Conveyor - they have a bare framework constructed. The rollers are
done, but not attached.
- Controls - have laid out a new board, with components attached.
The computer receiver is now mounted in a bracket on edge.
The transmitter station has not been wired.
The new receiver wiring has not been tested.
- Elevator/basket - the telescoping sliders are essentially complete.
Work is progressing on the basket frame, which will be a spring loaded
rectangle of PVC 1-inch piping.
- Mobility base - the central framework is complete, but the controls
board has not been mounted.
The tread units are roughly cut and assembled, but have not been mounted
to the central framework (this is in progress).
The motors have not been attached or tested.
- Work continued on the Chairman's Award.
Mrs Gazda had the impression that it was due Monday 15 February.
It is due (must be at FIRST) on 18 February.
Assignments:
Problems:
- No new problems. About 20-25 people worked on construction, though
several were either late or left very early.
Most workers are getting tired, which makes progress slower.
Activity:
- Revised schedule: meet 1pm-8pm for construction and integration
- We actually met til around 6:30pm.
About 15-20 people attended (for construction),
and a few people were still working on the Chairman's Award
- The subassemblies are in varying degrees of completion at the
end of the day:
- Arm/bulldozer - the arm has been mounted to the central framework.
One of the bulldozer's frameworks has also been mounted, and the motors attached.
The bulldozer's design changed at some point, has no blade but instead
a bumper made of PVC pipe which is driven by pulleys.
- Conveyor - they have attached the rollers, but not yet the belt.
The Fisher Price motor is attached but has not been tested.
- Controls - modified some details of layout to fit in the central framework.
We tested and found that the framework must be modified to allow the battery
to be removed (one of the braces gets in the way).
The transmitter station has been wired.
None of the wiring has been tested.
- Elevator/basket - the telescoping sliders are essentially complete and
positioned (but not attached) on the controls board, and
the basket frame constructed but not attached.
Work is progressing on elastic tubing which will aid the final elevation.
- Mobility base - the central framework is complete, but the controls
board has not been mounted.
The tread units are roughly cut and assembled, but have not been mounted
to the central framework (this is in progress).
The motors have not been attached or tested.
Assignments:
- Dave Lavery will take the Chairman's Award submission to work on
Tuesday to try to make copies (to reduce our cost).
Problems:
Activity:
- Scheduled: Test and debug
- Scheduled: Train operators, practice game
- Revised schedule: continue integration of subassemblies.
Meet from 3pm to 7pm.
- The subassemblies are in varying degrees of completion at the
end of the day:
- Arm/bulldozer - the arm has been mounted to the central framework.
Both of the bulldozer's frameworks have been mounted, and the motors attached.
- Conveyor - they have attached the rollers, but not yet the belt.
The Fisher Price motor is attached but has not been tested.
- Controls - tested transmitter station.
Currently working out details for mounting servo (for basket release)
and speed controller (for Fisher Price motor).
The receiver's antenna must be mounted on nonconducting material on the
conveyor's side.
- Elevator/basket - the telescoping sliders are essentially complete and
positioned (but not attached) on the controls board, and
the basket frame constructed but not attached (in progress).
- Mobility base - the central framework is complete, but the controls
board has not been mounted (holes are drilled but not bolted).
The tread units are assembled, and mounted to the central framework.
The motors have been attached but further adjustments are
needed to make the treads move freely.
- The completed Chairman's Award book was displayed to all (glue still drying).
- Some people started work on the crate, having obtained materials.
Assignments:
- A signup list for the team (human player, drivers and coaches) is now
posted in the lab.
Problems:
- No new problems. About 20 people attended.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Test and debug
- Scheduled: Train operators, practice game
- Revised schedule: continue integration of subassemblies.
About 34 people attended (4-5 stragglers).
We met from 7pm to 10pm.
- The subassemblies are in varying degrees of completion at the
end of the day:
- Arm/bulldozer - demonstrated the bumpers. More work needed for the arm,
which is not completely connected.
- Conveyor - no progress.
- Controls - temporarily mounted receiver to mobility base (need carriage
bolts), and test-drove the base around the floor.
Currently working out details for mounting servo (for basket release)
and speed controller (for Fisher Price motor).
The receiver's antenna must be mounted on nonconducting material on the
conveyor's side.
- Elevator/basket - mounted servo for releasing basket, but did not test.
- Mobility base - in integration phase.
Assignments:
Problems:
- Work on the conveyor and elevator stopped while we were working on
the mobility base.
We must mount the conveyor tomorrow, but the belt has not been attached.
- The mobility base was not able to climb onto the puck unaided,
partly because the drive motors are in the way.
- The motors have been attached but further adjustments are
needed to make the treads move freely, and not fall off.
Activity:
- Revised schedule: system integration
About 20 people attended, some left early.
We met from 7pm to 9:30pm.
- The subassemblies are in varying degrees of completion at the
end of the day:
- Arm/bulldozer - cutting weight from braces for the arm.
- Conveyor - no progress.
- Controls - minor reduction in weight (the brace holding the receiver).
- Elevator/basket - cutting weight from elevator parts.
Testing basket frame.
- Mobility base - making adjustments to the drive, to keep the tread on
more securely, but let it move more freely.
- The crate appears to be about half complete (major parts cut and
some assembly).
Assignments:
Problems:
- We are a little overweight. All groups must reduce.
Activity:
- Chairman's Award submission due at FIRST.
This is a contractual requirement of the grant which is funding our project.
- Scheduled: Test and debug
- Scheduled: Final operator selection
- Scheduled: Train operators, practice game
- Revised schedule: continue systems integration.
About 28 people attended (4-5 tardy).
We met from 7pm to 10pm.
- The subassemblies are in varying degrees of completion at the
end of the day:
- Arm/bulldozer - cutting weight from braces for the arm.
- Conveyor - test-fitted the belt, but did not leave it attached.
- Controls - minor wiring updates.
- Elevator/basket - cutting weight from elevator parts.
- Mobility base - making adjustments to the drive, to keep the tread on
more securely, but let it move more freely.
Nothing has been done for reducing weight.
- The crate appears to be about 2/3 complete (major parts cut and
assembled, with remaining work on interior structure).
Assignments:
Problems:
- Cutting weight from the elevator makes it weaker, and we are concerned
about it breaking under load.
Starting over with newly fabricated parts.
- The receiver (computer) did not work when we resumed testing.
It worked properly on Tuesday, before we added a switch to the transmitter
station (though that does not appear to be the cause).
Neither the default program, nor our own does anything.
- We overlooked the requirement that the Fisher Price motor be controlled
by the Victor speed controller rather than the Tekin.
We ordered two Victors, which should arrive on Saturday.
- The gears proposed for the conveyor (from the Fisher Price parts)
were not acceptable for some reason (not clear).
Conveyor group is looking for an alternative.
- We have not chosen coaches, drivers or the human player.
No one has practiced the game.
Activity:
- Revised schedule: continue systems integration.
- We met from 7pm-10pm. Several students began work around 3pm.
About 28 people attended.
- The subassemblies are in varying degrees of completion at the
end of the day (few tasks completed, but progress on most).
Assignments:
Problems:
- Students methodically went through the electronics and found a
blown fuse (one of the ones on the receiver computer, e.g., a relay).
A substitution was made (perhaps a slow-blowing fuse might improve things).
- Complicating the analysis, some of the crimped electrical connections
are loose and make intermittent contact.
Activity:
- Scheduled: Close-out review
- Scheduled: Construct crate for shipping robot
- Scheduled: Pack robot.
About 25 people attended (4-5 tardy).
We met from 8am to past 11pm.
- The subassemblies are in varying degrees of completion at the
end of the day:
- Arm/bulldozer - connected and controllable.
- Conveyor - assembled belt (though some refinement is needed).
Solved problem with belt running off rollers by adding Velcro to the edges
for stiffness.
Motor is connected and controllable.
- Controls - resoldered and crimped loose connections,
rotated receiver to make LEDs visible, and
rotated battery to get better access to the fuse.
- Elevator/basket - mounted, connected.
Some minor work remains to connect a limit switch to keep the motor
from running off the end of the tape..
- Mobility base -
remounted the framework holding bulldozer (bumpers) and the drive motors
"upside down" to keep the framework above the puck.
- The outside of the crate appears to be complete,
with remaining work on interior structure).
Assignments:
Problems:
- The machine's weight is right at 130 pounds (Dave Lavery says the scale is
off by 5 pounds, however my weight on that scale agrees with the balance
I use - we need an accurate measure).
- Mounting the bumper framework upside-down has the drawback that
the right bumper is in the way of the arm initially, until it is deployed.
We may work around this by starting with the bumpers down, which makes the
length of the robot right at the maximum.
- There is some concern that the basket will catch on the arm during
deployment.
At the end of the day, designers were discussing how to solve this,
e.g., by adding a tray to hold the basket.
- One tread broke and the other is not far behind.
The failure occurs where the embedded cables join.
We cannot repair (by crimping, soldering or splicing) the tread.
This problem may occur with the two-inch tread which we have ordered.
Activity:
- Revised schedule: Testing
- Revised schedule: Close-out review
- About 20 people attended.
We met from 1pm to past 8pm.
- Mobility group made temporary repairs so that testing could limp along.
- Aside from having the track pop off every few minutes,
and not being able to pick up floppies with the conveyor,
the drivers were able to get some useful experience with the completed robot.
Assignments:
- Meeting on Thursday, 25 Februrary.
Problems:
Activity:
- Crate up robot and ship before 5pm.
- 7-8 people showed up and (with the truck driver) picked up the crate
and put it in the truck before 4pm.
Assignments:
Problems:
Activity:
- Order T-shirts
- Rescheduled (from 24 Februrary): meet at 7:00 pm in
the shop (drama room).
We will be determining which tools are needed and
what spare parts need to be made.
- We will also be determining what the T-shirts will be.
Anyone who is not
at this meeting will have no input into the T-shirts.
- We will be selecting three (3) designs.
The team members going to Florida will get three (one of each design).
The rest of the team will get one shirt.
If you want additional shirts they may be purchased for $10 each.
- For each person we need to know the following:
- What size T-shirt you want.
- If you are not going to Florida which of the designs you want.
- If you want extra's which designs and what size.
- Actual meeting:
About 27 people attended.
Alisha Wallenstein
stated that three designs had been chosen (we did not see the designs).
No further input was requested.
Apparently all decisions regarding the T-shirts were made before the
meeting started.
- David Tripp summarizes:
- It was decided that we will go with three T-shirt designs.
- Two shirts with
artwork on the back and one with a list of the names of all the team
members.
- David Tripp
presented some notes from Dave Lavery regarding the regional competition
at NASA/Ames.
- Packed tools for the Phildelphia trip.
Assignments:
Problems:
- It appears likely that our basket's design will disqualify us
under the entanglement rule.
Making a tighter weave might work (but that would exceed our SPI budget limit).
Some people suggest adding sheets of polycarbonate as a guard around the
basket. They are studying the matter.
Activity:
- Regional Competition in Philadelphia
Assignments:
Problems:
Activity:
- Regional Competition in Philadelphia
Assignments:
Problems:
Activity:
- Regional Competition in Philadelphia
Assignments:
Problems:
|
